Donovan Riley – gone!

Spivak & Bice report this morning Donovan Riley has dropped out of the race for State Senate. He was running in the Democratic Primary as the more liberal alternative to State Senator Jeff Plale. Riley’s name will remain on the ballot, allowing Democrats to continue to vote for him more than once if they want.

Riley was forced to drop out after it was revealed he may have voted more than one time in the 2000 presidential election. Democrat state Rep. Tony Staskunas was the first to call for Riley to drop out of the race. On Thursday, Sen. Tim Carpenter Rep. Christine Sinicki and Rep. Josh Zepnick also called on Riley to drop out.

In the terse, three-paragraph statement, Riley noted that his primary campaign to unseat fellow Democrat Sen. Jeff Plale was “effectively inactive” since the revelations that he may have double-voted in an election six years ago. He then thanked his supporters and said he would have no further comment.

Riley now may be out of the race – though he will remain on the ballot – but his troubles may not be over.

Waukesha County District Attorney Paul Bucher, who has been investigating the matter, said he hopes to make a decision as soon as today on whether to charge Riley with election fraud. The Republican prosecutor, who is also running for attorney general, said he is waiting for records from Chicago. The statute of limitations for the felony expires in a little more than two months.

Riley’s departure came just hours after three south side Democrats called on Riley to withdraw from the race against the conservative incumbent.

I know it’s not right to bet on these things, but I bet Bucher files charges. Call it a hunch, but even if he wasn’t running for state attorney general this is a pretty easy decision for Bucher to make.